After spending four years behind bars in the double murder case of daughter Aarushi Talwar and domestic help Hemraj, Dr Rajesh Talwar and Dr Nupur Talwar walked out of the Dasna jail today.
The Noida-based dentist couple was acquitted by the Allahabad High Court on Thursday, which asserted that there was no ‘concrete evidence’ against them. The Talwars were supposed to walk out of the jail on Friday but jail authorities did not receive the order on time for their release last week.
Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were lodged in the Dasna prison in Ghaziabad since November 2013 after they were awarded life sentence following their conviction by a special CBI court in Ghaziabad for the murder of their daughter and a domestic help.
Ends the nine-year ordeal of the dentist couple, the Allahabad High Court had said neither the circumstances nor the evidence was enough to hold them guilty.
As it happened:
6:07 pm: Rajesh and Nupur Talwar reach their Noida residence, after walking free from Dasna jail
5:59 pm: Very happy to see Rajesh, Nupur come back home, says Aarushi's aunt Vandana Talwar
5:27 pm: Allahabad HC's decision is a stamp on the innocence of Rajesh & Nupur Talwar. This is what they deserved: Tanveer Ahmed Mir, Talwar's lawyer
5:00 pm: Rajesh and Nupur Talwar walk out of Dasna Jail after four years.
4:50 pm: Documentation of release and medical tests have been completed. Talwar couple will soon walk out of Dasna jail
4:38 pm: Release order issued by CBI court reaches Dasna jail. Talwar couple to walk out shortly.
3:53 pm: We submitted copy of acquittal in court& presented witnesses. Bonds of 437 A have been complied. Court accepted all of them: Talwars' lawyer
3:30 pm: Ghaziabad's CBI court isues releasing order for Rajesh and Nupur Talwar. The couple to get released after the order reached Dasna Jail.
3:20 pm: Rajesh Talwar's brother Dinesh Talwar reaches family friend court along with Nupur Talwar's parents for bail surety.
02:05 pm: She said she wants to punish killers of Aarushi and open a hospital in her name: Dasna jail official on Nupur Talwar
02:03 pm: She was happy today. Has two set of clothes, she packed her: Dasna jail official on Nupur Talwar
02:02 pm: There is strong possibility of release order being issued before 3 pm: Satyaketu Singh, lawyer who argued for Talwars at Ghaziabad trial court
01:47 pm: Since CBI judge Pawan Tiwari is on leave, link court judge rajesh Chaudhary is hearing the matter
01:40 pm: Rajesh Talwar's lawyer submits verified copy of Allahabad HC order in Ghaziabad court
01:15 pm: Heavy police force deployed outside Dasna jail in Ghaziabad
01:14 pm: Lunch break in the court hearing the Talwars' release matter
01:13 pm: All documents sent for verification. Now link court will hear this matter
01:12 pm: Judge Pawan Tiwari is on leave so link court will hear the matter.
01:11 pm: Regular CBI court of Pawan Kumar Tiwari receives all documents.
01:00 pm: Special CBI judge is on leave, link court to hear the matter now.
12:05 pm: Very happy, could not sleep all night: Nupur Talwar's mother Lata Chitnis
11:23 am: Nupur Talwar's parents are filing surety for Rajesh while Dinesh Talwar and Arun Mittal are filing surety for Nupur
11:22 am: Nupur Talwar's parents, Rajesh Talwar's brother and family friend Arun Mittal are filing bail bond for the couple
11:20 am: Talwars' lawyers are in Ghaziabad court to complete formalities for their release
10:13 am: Talwars will be released from Dasna jail around 3 pm
10:11 am: The HC order copy will be presented in Ghaziabad Court which will pass order on Talwars' release. The copy of Ghaziabad court is expected to arrive at Dasna jail around 1:30 pm
10:11 am: Talwars gave medical service for free, refused remuneration. If they would've taken it, amount would've been approximately Rs 49,500: Jailor, Dasna Jail
10:11 am: Talwars will continue to visit jail periodically so that medical assistance provided by them to inmates can continue: Jailor, Dasna Jail
10:10 am: Court has opened after a 2 day holiday, there is a strong possibility of the Talwars being released today: D. Maurya, Jailor, Dasna Jail
10:08 am: I don't think Rajesh and Nupur will ever be able to go back to their home in Jalwayu Vihar in Noida: Group Captain (retd) BG Chitnis, father of Nupur Talwar
10:07 am: This will be our first Diwali in 9 years, says Nupur Talwar's father
Rajesh and Nupur Talwar are lodged in the Dasna prison in Ghaziabad since November 2013 after they were awarded life sentence following their conviction by a special CBI court in Ghaziabad for the murder of their daughter and a domestic help. The couple had challenge the sentence in the Allahabad High Court, which acquitted them in a verdict passed on Thursday last.
A division bench of the court comprising justices B K Narayana and A K Mishra upheld the appeals by the Talwars against the CBI court order. The High Court while acquitting the Talwars said neither the circumstances nor the evidence was enough to hold them guilty.
The verdict ends the nine-year ordeal of the Noida couple.
Aarushi was found dead inside her room in the Talwars' Noida residence with her throat slit in May 2008. The needle of suspicion had initially moved towards 45-year-old domestic help Hemraj, who had gone missing but his body was recovered from the terrace of the house a day later.
The double murder not only transfixed but also shook the nation with its element of filicide.
With the acquittal, the central question in the bizarre mystery resurfaces - who killed the 14-year-old girl and the 45-year-old man.
(With PTI inputs)
